The agile mind

From 11+ until the Sixth Form, boys and girls are taught separately. In the Sixth Form, classes are mixed to prepare young men and women for the world beyond school. We encourage our pupils to apply what they learn across subject areas: a lesson about number sequencing in Mathematics could well be applied to composing a score in Music lessons. The ability to think in a flexible way means that Brentwood pupils are always able to turn their hands to any task.

Our teaching staff present academic subjects in ways that relate them to the real world; we promote practical as well as intellectual engagement. From the First Year, pupils undertake ‘Creative and Critical Thinking’ - this helps pupils to interrogate ideas and think independently. Pupils also undertake the ECDL (European Computer Driving License) to give them a firm grounding in computer literacy. Exceptional facilities enable us to give all our pupils the chance to participate in engaging practical lessons and there are a huge number of trips and visits, from the battlefields of Ypres to the volcanic splendour of Iceland.

We believe in developing broad horizons, so we keep our subject-base broad for as long as possible. At Sixth Form level, we have virtually no restrictions on subject combinations. Alongside diverse and challenging ‘A’ level subjects, we offer the International Baccalaureate, which fosters internationalism as well as academic rigour.